There are almost two million cosmetic procedures performed in the United States each year. The techniques which are minimally invasive are growing at a much faster rate than the traditional procedures that allow for augmentation. More than 300,000 women each year decide to have their breasts augmented in some way, which is one of the fastest-growing segments of the overall industry.
Only liposuction is growing at a faster percentage in the United States for the cosmetic surgery industry. There are about 60,000 fewer liposuction procedures performed each year compared to the breast augmentation requests doctors receive.
Some women are dissatisfied with the size or shape of their breasts. They choose to keep their current look because they feel like the idea of an implant is unappealing. That’s why the fat transfer breast augmentation pros and cons are excited to consider it. Instead of having an implant, this technique allows a provider to inject a person’s fat into the breast instead.
If you are thinking about this procedure, then here are the facts that you will want to know.
List of the Pros of Fat Transfer Breast Augmentation
1. It provides a mild-to-moderate increase in breast size.
The fat transfer breast augmentation procedure allows you to go up an additional cup size at most without the need to have implants. This procedure uses fat from your own body to increase the size of your bust. That allows you to take advantage of the single most popular cosmetic procedure in the United States for women without the risks that come when using something artificial. If you want to go up more than 1 cup size, you’ll still need to pursue implants, but this option can help more women reach the size they want to be.
2. The procedure is only minimally invasive.
When you decide that the fat transfer breast augmentation procedure is the best way to achieve your bust size goals, then your provider will be able to accomplish the look you want in a way that is minimally invasive. They will take fat that comes from your thighs, hips, or stomach to complete this procedure. The fat that they harvest is purified before it will be injected into the breast. This results in a look and feel that is more natural than what the typical implant provides.
3. It is a procedure that is 100% natural for the body.
One of the primary advantages that come with the fat transfer process is the fact that doctors are using your own body’s materials to supplement the look and feel of your breasts. Most women enjoy the results that are achievable with this process because it causes their bust to look soft and natural. You will not receive unnatural movement or shaping with this procedure as you would with a traditional implant process. That also means you have less downtime during your recovery period because the body heals faster from the various injections and small incisions.
4. There is minimal scarring involved with the fat transfer breast augmentation procedure.
If you decide to proceed with the fat transfer breast augmentation procedure, then you can expect minimal scarring after your body heals from this process. Doctors will use tiny incisions to harvest the fat that will be transferred to the bust. The injections that are part of the procedure rarely leave a mark. Unlike the typical implant procedure, that means there are no significant scar lines to hide because the invasiveness is minimal throughout the entire process. Most women are extremely satisfied with the final results.
5. Fat transfer breast augmentation procedures can dramatically reshape the entire body.
When women decide to use this process to augment their breasts, they gave a secondary benefit by having their body contoured to a shape that they want as well. Doctors use liposuction to harvest fat from other areas to facilitate this process. You can come away from this procedure with a flatter stomach, slimmer thighs, or a sculpted waistline (if not all three) and still gain the benefit of having your breasts at a 1/2 or full cup size improvement after the work is complete.
6. Women who are slender can still undergo this procedure.
Although women who have a very low percentage of body fat (under 3%) may not be suitable candidates for the fat transfer breast augmentation procedure, most slender women can still enjoy the results of this treatment process. A highly-skilled plastic surgeon can harvest enough tissues for the augmentation process under most circumstances. If there are concerns with your BMI and this is the method you wish to use, then your doctor might ask you to gain a few pounds intentionally to ensure there is enough tissues to harvest for the procedure.
Your doctor will likely want to harvest about 1,000mm of pure fat to have the best chance of a successful augmentation procedure.
7. There is a lower risk of a follow-up procedure being necessary.
When doctors can use this augmentation procedure to enhance the look and feel of the bust, then there are often fewer complications to worry about during the recovery process. It has an excellent track record for the number of issues that women encounter after having the fat transferred to their breasts. There is a lower need for a re-operation compared to the traditional implants as well. Most women and their doctors are satisfied with the results that are possible with this procedure.
List of the Cons of Fat Transfer Breast Augmentation
1. It does not help women who have sagging breasts.
If you’re concerned with how your breasts are sagging, then a fat transfer augmentation will not necessarily provide you with the results you want. Noticeable sagging benefits more from a breast lift procedure, whether you opt for implants or not. If you increase the volume of your breasts alone by transferring fat, this process will not provide much help in lifting or reshaping your bust.
Some women struggle with this disadvantage because the shape of their bust changes over time. If you want to correct issues that started with pregnancy, weight loss, genetics, or the natural aging process, then a traditional implant is really your only choice.
2. There is a limited benefit to the augmentation process.
Women who do not have a lot of extra fat on your body will not be able to augment their breasts very much when opting for this procedure. Even when there is a significant amount to harvest, the fat transfer breast augmentation can only produce up to a one cup size increase. If you choose to have a breast implant procedure that follows the traditional course, your provider can produce a cup size increase of three or even more if that is what you want to have for your perfect look.
3. Your body can reabsorb the fat after the transfer takes place.
Even the best plastic surgeons who transfer the fat very carefully during this procedure cannot provide the body from reabsorbing it in the future. Every step is taken to minimize this disadvantage, but the results can be somewhat unpredictable based on what your specific metabolism needs happen to be. There is a small risk that a large percentage of the fact that your provider transfers will be reabsorbed, which means the long-term enhancement you receive may not meet your expectations.
4. It may require multiple procedures to be successful.
Because of the issue that some women face with fat reabsorption, some women may require several fat transfer breast augmentation procedures to reach the cup size that they want. When you go through this process multiple times, the risks for a complication continue to increase. There is still no guarantee that the body will not reabsorb the fat again afterward either. That can end up being a lot of money being spend on a procedure that may not offer you the look that you want.
5. There is a cost factor that women must consider with this procedure.
According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the average cost of a traditional breast augmentation surgery was $3,718 in 2017. If you had traditional implants and wanted them removed, that cost was about $2,500 in the same year. For women who would prefer to have the fat transfer augmentation procedure done for a more natural look, then the final cost can be up to $10,000 more than what traditional breast implants cost. You can receive whole-body results with that investment, but it is a cost that some may not have.
6. Most women must use the BRAVA system for a successful experience.
If you were thinking about the fat transfer breast augmentation procedure, then your doctor will likely recommend that you follow the BRAVA system for a few weeks before you have the surgery. This system works as an external tissue expansion encourager that you must wear for up to 12 hours per day. Some women must use it for up to five weeks before their scheduled appointment.
The goal of using BRAVA is that it will stretch your breast tissues, making space for the extra fat that will be coming to the area. It will also increase circulation, which can improve your long-term results. If you do not use this system, then there is a greater chance for failure. Some women must continue to use this expansion system for up to 90 days after their surgery as well.
7. The extra fat you receive from the procedure can interfere with screening exams.
The volume of fat that is necessary to complete the augmentation procedure for your bust can make the technique become prone to calcification. These spots can appeal on a mammogram in the future, creating changes that will be present throughout your lifetime. The pattern of these calcifications is different than what breast cancer causes, but you may encounter a physician who orders a biopsy of the space instead – especially if your family has a history of breast cancer. You can expect a lifetime of follow-up conversations and closer monitoring if you experience this issue after the procedure.
8. You must be self-motivated to complete the augmentation procedure.
The only way for the fat transfer breast augmentation procedure to be successful is if you are 100% invested into the results you want. The external expansion process that is necessary for most women before there surgery is self-directed almost all of the time. Wearing the expansion device can sometimes be uncomfortable.
9. Women must maintain their weight to keep the augmentation.
The human body is unpredictable when it starts using fat as a fuel for the energy that it needs. If you begin to lose weight after having the fat transfer augmentation procedure, then there is a chance that it could be reabsorbed by the body. You must maintain your weight after the surgery for your breast size to remain the same.
If you gain weight, there is a chance that your cup size could increase. They will decrease in size if you begin to lose weight.
The pros and cons of the fat transfer breast augmentation procedure show that it is a viable option for women who want natural results and are willing to work for them. It is more expensive than a traditional implant, and it will take a lot more work to reduce the risks of the poor results. If you have the money to invest and only have 1 cup size to increase, then you may wish to give this option a closer look or discuss it with your plastic surgeon.